The US Senate has voted in favor of a motion to repeal an IRS rule targeting decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms. The motion now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for his anticipated signature.
According to the latest reports, the resolution is close to becoming law, potentially by the end of this week.
Lawmakers Move to Overturn IRS DeFi Broker Rule
On March 26, the Senate voted 70-28 to pass H.J. Res. 25, introduced by Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Mike Carey. This vote marks the second time this month that the resolution has passed, following a 70-27 vote on March 4.
A procedural requirement regarding budget measures necessitated the re-vote after the House approved its version in a 292-132 tally.
“This clears the way for innovation in DeFi. This is bullish—less regulation, more growth, as we’ve been saying,” wrote Dan Gambardello on X.
Meanwhile, Eleanor Terrett, host of Crypto in America, revealed, citing a Republican Senate source, that the bill could become law as early as this Friday.
“Resolution to overturn IRS DeFi broker rule could become law by week’s end,” she stated.
The development comes amid a broader push for regulatory clarity. On March 26, the DeFi Education Fund, alongside a coalition of organizations, submitted a letter to leading US Senate and House Committees on Banking, Judiciary, and Financial Services members.
The letter aims to address the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) misinterpretation of money transmission laws.
“We write to urge you to correct the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) unprecedented and overly expansive interpretation of the criminal code provision proscribing operating an “unlicensed money transmitting business” as applied to software developers,” the letter read.
The coalition argues that the DOJ’s interpretation creates ambiguity. This could criminalize software developers working in the blockchain space.
Specifically, it would impact those using non-custodial technologies who do not control or possess customer funds. This position could threaten the viability of US-based software development in the digital asset industry and beyond.
Furthermore, the letter emphasizes that the DOJ’s stance contradicts existing guidance from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and previous legal interpretations. Thus, it could potentially lead to overreach and unfair treatment of blockchain developers.
The signatories, including Paradigm, A16z Crypto, Polygon Labs, Coinbase, Kraken, and others, request that Congress urge the DOJ to clarify its position. They aim to ensure alignment with legal precedent and congressional intent and prevent the stifling of innovation in the US tech sector.
Welcome to the US Crypto News Morning Briefing—your essential rundown of the most important developments in crypto for the day ahead.
Grab a coffee as we analyze Standard Chartered’s Bitcoin (BTC) price projections. According to the bank, Bitcoin price could hit $500,000 as global institutions accumulate Strategy’s MSTR stock for indirect exposure to Bitcoin.
Crypto News of the Day: Standard Chartered’s Bold Bitcoin Prediction
Bitcoin was trading for $105,178, up by a modest 2.27% in the last 24 hours. In recent developments, the pioneer crypto market capitalization has ascended to an all-time high of $2.09 trillion.
However, analysts hold that institutional interest has much to do with Bitcoin’s value surge. Firstly, Bitcoin ETFs (exchange-traded funds), which offer Traditional Finance (TradFi) players indirect exposure to BTC, drive institutional interest.
In the same way, institutions are gaining indirect exposure to Bitcoin via Strategy’s MSTR stock. A recent US Crypto News publication indicated that Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) held 576,230 BTC as of May 19.
Holding a significant amount of Bitcoin on its balance sheet, Strategy’s MSTR stock price correlates closely with Bitcoin’s price movements.
MSTR vs. BTC performance in the past year. Source: ivanhoff.com on X
Analysts ascribe this correlation to a dynamic where Bitcoin is the base layer while MSTR operates as a vehicle with different risks, mechanics, and rewards.
Against this backdrop, BeInCrypto contacted Geoff Kendrick, Head of Digital Assets Research at Standard Chartered. According to Kendrick, Bitcoin is still on course to hit $500,000 before the end of Trump’s second administration.
Kendrick ascribes this to deepening institutional adoption, particularly through indirect exposure via MicroStrategy’s MSTR shares.
Standard Chartered Says Increasing Allocations to MSTR Is Bullish for Bitcoin
Newly released Q1 2025 13F filings from the US SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) support the bank’s bullish thesis. Specifically, Strategy saw increasing allocations to MSTR by a range of global sovereign and quasi-sovereign entities.
“As more investors gain access to the asset and as volatility falls, we believe portfolios will migrate towards their optimal level from an underweight starting position in Bitcoin,” Kendrick said in an email to BeInCrypto.
While direct holdings of Bitcoin ETFs declined slightly overall, largely due to the State of Wisconsin Investment Board selling its entire 3,400 BTC-equivalent position in BlackRock’s IBIT ETF, other entities quietly increased exposure via MSTR, which Kendrick described as a “Bitcoin proxy.”
“Government entities increased their holdings of Strategy Incorporated (MSTR), which typically trades like a Bitcoin proxy. Entities in Norway, Switzerland, and South Korea reported significant MSTR increases, and Saudi Arabia added a very small position for the first time,” Kendrick told BeInCrypto.
The Standard Chartered executive emphasized that while Bitcoin ETF flows were “unexciting,” the MSTR accumulation trend was the real story this quarter.
“The MSTR ownership detail was where the excitement was,” he added.
Geoff Kendrick went further, detailing Standard Chartered’s analysis of the filings. Based on their analysis:
Norway added 700 BTC-equivalent via MSTR, now holding 6,300 BTC-equivalent.
Switzerland also added 700 BTC-equivalent, reaching 2,300 BTC-equivalent.
South Korea added 700 BTC-equivalent, bringing its total to 1,300 BTC-equivalent.
US state funds (California, New York, North Carolina, Kentucky) added 1,000 BTC-equivalent collectively, now at 3,300 BTC-equivalent.
Saudi Arabia’s Central Bank opened a small MSTR position—its first.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi’s quasi-sovereign wealth fund Mubadala added 300 BTC equivalent via ETF holdings, increasing its position to 5,000 BTC equivalent.
“SEC 13F data for Q1 supports our thesis that Bitcoin is attracting a wider range of buyers. While data on Bitcoin ETF holdings was disappointing, MSTR – a Bitcoin proxy – saw increased buying. Overall sovereign positions were unchanged due to the Wisconsin pension fund selling its ETF holdings,” Kendrick concluded.
The data reinforce Standard Chartered’s outlook that institutional and sovereign flows—both direct and indirect—will be a key driver of Bitcoin’s ascent to $500,000 in the coming years.
Chart of the Day
Governement holdings of BTC ETFs and MSTR. Source: Standard Chartered
This chart illustrates the total government holdings of Bitcoin ETFs and MicroStrategy’s MSTR stock from Q4 2023 to Q1 2025, measured in ‘000 (thousands) BTC equivalents. Based on the chart, holdings have grown steadily, peaking in Q1 2025 at around 18,000 BTC.
The chart shows that key contributors include Abu Dhabi (ETFs), Norway, Sweden, South Korea, France, New York, Wisconsin (ETFs), Michigan (ETFs), Switzerland, Liechtenstein, California, North Carolina, Saudi Arabia, and Kentucky, with varying contributions across quarters.
Byte-Sized Alpha
Here’s a summary of more US crypto news to follow today:
XRP futures trading on CME Group has surged to a combined $25.6 million in notional volume within its first two days of launch. It marks a strong debut for the altcoin’s entry into regulated derivatives markets. Meanwhile, XRP continues to trade below $2.50, dropping 7% in the past week.
According to official CME data and corroborating reports, 120 standard and 206 micro contracts were traded on May 19, totaling approximately 6.5 million XRP.
On May 20, the exchange logged 59 standard and 485 micro contracts, adding another 4.1 million XRP to the tally.
So, using XRP’s current market price of $2.39, the total trading volume across both days equals approximately $25.6 million.
XRP Futures Notional Volume on CME. Source: CME Group
This volume positions XRP’s debut ahead of other altcoin launches on CME. Solana (SOL) futures, which debuted in March 2025, recorded $12.3 million in first-day notional volume.
Futures Mirror XRP Spot Price, Hint at Stable Outlook
CME’s XRP futures are cash-settled and based on the CME CF XRP-Dollar Reference Rate. This is updated daily at 11 am Eastern Time.
This structure means the futures are pegged closely to the spot market. With XRP currently trading at $2.39, the futures contracts are not reflecting a premium or discount. This suggests traders expect price stability in the short term.
So far, there is no indication of strong bullish or bearish sentiment among futures participants. This could reflect broader market indecision or simply the fact that participants are using the contracts for hedging rather than speculation.
